Hurray! Here is the first official post of July! Wow, time sure does seem to be moving by quickly. Here it is already July 10th. But God is still good. So, I know this may sound like an amusing question, but have you ever looked at people and said, "hmm, you remind me of an animal?" Alright, so I know that is not the most flattering thing to say to somebody (and I hope I wouldn't ever say that to somebody unless I knew them extremely well). I guess the thought comes to mind though because of a cartoon I used to watch of the beloved classic "The Wind in the Willows". I haven't seen that cartoon in years, but in that rendition there is a mole, who is incredibly gentle and kind, but whose physiological features are quite unique. He wears glasses, is a little humped in his back, and is incredibly soft-spoken and meek. Now I know this may not seem flattering, and I am in no ways trying to come across as insulting in anyway, but I have a friend who reminds me of that character in the cartoon.
I think it amusing to consider that what we often recognize in an animal is simply what we have seen or remember from our childhoods. Perhaps the mole in the cartoon of the "Wind in the Willows" is an accurate representation of what a real mole looks like, and then again maybe not. But what I have in my mind how a mole looks is what I saw when I was younger. This could be a sobering consideration for what our children see on the screen, or it may provide fodder for us to discuss with our children about the reality of what is on tv and what is in fact real life. This was one of the insights from counseling classes. Children are often unable to recognize what is reality from fiction when they are younger. They automatically tend to believe whatever they see is true, when if it is on tv, it may not be.
Tangents abound in this post, but maybe you can start to look at your friends in a new light?! (chuckle) But make sure you keep it to yourself as I'm not sure they would understand where you are coming from or what you really mean. Okay, one last thought here. It is interesting how we view other people. Most of the time our perception of them is totally inaccurate and we can only know the real them if we talk to them and take the time to get to know them. After all, first impressions can never be done over. (not my own original thought)
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Thoughts
Alright, time for a more serious post (both in length and content). I'm definitely battering some thoughts around in my head and I'm trying to decide which one to pull out and ponder aloud. Hmm...I guess I'll go with standards and convictions.
Today was an absolutely incredible day here in New England and as such, I wanted to make sure and spend some good quality time outdoors. So, I did. At least four hours worth. Spent chatting (since I can't be outside and NOT be around people) with some of my fabulous neighbors. Among many topics of discussion, both sublime and ridiculous, standards and convictions came up. Now I have been mulling some of these thoughts over for a long time, but it was nice to have a refresher of the subject and discuss it with good friends. The subject? Well you already know what it is. Personal convictions and standards.
When talking with non-Christians there tends to be an easier explanation for standards and convictions. In other words there is the ability to say to a non-Christian, "Hey I don't smoke because I'm a Christian" or "Hey, I don't live with my girlfriend [figment of the imagination for me personally] because I am a Christian". And they can question me further and I'll be glad to explain why I hold to those standards. Non-Christians may not understand the reasoning for why I'm making the choice that I am, but they respect the choice as my own and as a religious conviction.
The real dicey situation comes when you are trying to talk to a fellow Christian who does not hold the same standards or convictions. Now you can no longer say, "Hey I don't drink because I'm a Christian" and they will curiously ask questions for the benefit of greater understanding of you and your religious beliefs, and then leave you alone to practice how you feel God has led you. Instead they will question your standards and, sometimes, feel funny because they don't have those same standards. It's really sad but some Christians who are not big enough to understand God's greatness and His ability to lead some to adhere to a scriptural or personal standard, while at the same time not leading them in that same standard, try to undermine or question with a super critical spirit. Personally, I don't mind if believers question my own standards or convictions as long as it is not with a critical spirit/attitude and they are really trying to understand how God has led me. The other caveat which I allow is if a fellow brother or sister in Christ is really concerned that I may have missed something that God has shown me and are trying to help straighten me out (with humility and a gentle spirit). That is the ultimate beauty of the body of Christ! The ability to live in community and help and encourage one another. I never want to be accused of not listening to a fellow Christian and not adequately working something out between me and God. If I need to re-evaluate my standard or conviction, I will. The Holy Spirit is incredibly faithful when it comes to leading those who earnestly ask him.
Why do some Christians react so strongly to standards held by other Christians but not they themselves? I think there may be two answers. Of course, I may have missed some, but these are some of what I thought about. First, they feel downright guilty. They know they should be held to a higher standard of conduct and living and they don't want to hear you are holding to the very standard they know they should themselves cling to. Scripture admonishes us along this line in Romans 14:4-19. We as believers have to get our bearings from God and deal with the scorn or contempt of other brothers and sisters in the Lord. Secondly, I believe the enemy of our souls has used convictions as a petty wedge that has been used to further divide and splinter the body of Christ. What better use of pride or self-love than to condemn a fellow lover of Jesus simply because they are not like yourself? That is the very epitome of pride! Which we know God absolutely abhors!
So when you come upon fellow Christians who feel God has led them in a different direction than yourself, praise God for His ability to lead them and that they are sensitive to God's direction for their lives. Hey, you could even rejoice that they even adhere to standards as it seems many in the Evangelical church have abandoned them for the deceptively "greener" pastures of the world. The only way to break this vicious cycle is if we each can recognize the Holy Spirit's ability to lead others differently and remain sensitive to how the Holy Spirit is leading us personally. After all, our walk is before God, not men.
The picture was taken of one of my next door neighbors children last summer. I hope you enjoy!
Today was an absolutely incredible day here in New England and as such, I wanted to make sure and spend some good quality time outdoors. So, I did. At least four hours worth. Spent chatting (since I can't be outside and NOT be around people) with some of my fabulous neighbors. Among many topics of discussion, both sublime and ridiculous, standards and convictions came up. Now I have been mulling some of these thoughts over for a long time, but it was nice to have a refresher of the subject and discuss it with good friends. The subject? Well you already know what it is. Personal convictions and standards.
When talking with non-Christians there tends to be an easier explanation for standards and convictions. In other words there is the ability to say to a non-Christian, "Hey I don't smoke because I'm a Christian" or "Hey, I don't live with my girlfriend [figment of the imagination for me personally] because I am a Christian". And they can question me further and I'll be glad to explain why I hold to those standards. Non-Christians may not understand the reasoning for why I'm making the choice that I am, but they respect the choice as my own and as a religious conviction.
The real dicey situation comes when you are trying to talk to a fellow Christian who does not hold the same standards or convictions. Now you can no longer say, "Hey I don't drink because I'm a Christian" and they will curiously ask questions for the benefit of greater understanding of you and your religious beliefs, and then leave you alone to practice how you feel God has led you. Instead they will question your standards and, sometimes, feel funny because they don't have those same standards. It's really sad but some Christians who are not big enough to understand God's greatness and His ability to lead some to adhere to a scriptural or personal standard, while at the same time not leading them in that same standard, try to undermine or question with a super critical spirit. Personally, I don't mind if believers question my own standards or convictions as long as it is not with a critical spirit/attitude and they are really trying to understand how God has led me. The other caveat which I allow is if a fellow brother or sister in Christ is really concerned that I may have missed something that God has shown me and are trying to help straighten me out (with humility and a gentle spirit). That is the ultimate beauty of the body of Christ! The ability to live in community and help and encourage one another. I never want to be accused of not listening to a fellow Christian and not adequately working something out between me and God. If I need to re-evaluate my standard or conviction, I will. The Holy Spirit is incredibly faithful when it comes to leading those who earnestly ask him.
Why do some Christians react so strongly to standards held by other Christians but not they themselves? I think there may be two answers. Of course, I may have missed some, but these are some of what I thought about. First, they feel downright guilty. They know they should be held to a higher standard of conduct and living and they don't want to hear you are holding to the very standard they know they should themselves cling to. Scripture admonishes us along this line in Romans 14:4-19. We as believers have to get our bearings from God and deal with the scorn or contempt of other brothers and sisters in the Lord. Secondly, I believe the enemy of our souls has used convictions as a petty wedge that has been used to further divide and splinter the body of Christ. What better use of pride or self-love than to condemn a fellow lover of Jesus simply because they are not like yourself? That is the very epitome of pride! Which we know God absolutely abhors!
So when you come upon fellow Christians who feel God has led them in a different direction than yourself, praise God for His ability to lead them and that they are sensitive to God's direction for their lives. Hey, you could even rejoice that they even adhere to standards as it seems many in the Evangelical church have abandoned them for the deceptively "greener" pastures of the world. The only way to break this vicious cycle is if we each can recognize the Holy Spirit's ability to lead others differently and remain sensitive to how the Holy Spirit is leading us personally. After all, our walk is before God, not men.
The picture was taken of one of my next door neighbors children last summer. I hope you enjoy!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Edited Glimpse into Spain
So, I know this post isn't much to speak of, but I thought I'd post a picture from Spain. It is edited a little bit, but the edits, I trust, only enhance the image itself. Enjoy!
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